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Current Seismic Developments in the Val Verde Basin, Texas

NICKOLOFF, TOM, Permian Exploration Corporation, Roswell, NM

The Val Verde basin may offer a viable domestic exploration opportunity for the 1990s based upon large reserve potential, playable acreage, and new seismic technology and techniques.

Because much of the basin is overlain on the surface by high-velocity Cretaceous limestones, seismic exploration techniques have resulted in limited mapping abilities in the area and contributed to curtailed exploration. Relatively deep objectives, relatively sparse deep penetrations, and high risks have also contributed to past exploration difficulty, now seen as opportunity.

Recent seismic hardware and software developments enable acquisition of more finely sampled data over broader dimensions and enable an attack on high-velocity surface problems from different perspectives.

Such developments and potential applications were investigated during noise study and seismic test data acquisition and processing efforts in the Val Verde basin beginning in March 1989.

Test data and diagnostics led to new seismic reconnaissance of the basin, and continues in progress.

Seismic resolution achieved during reconnaissance projects, as shown by representative seismic sections, demonstrates current seismic abilities and limitations in mapping forelands and subthrust lower paleostructure, Pennsylvanian unconformity, Permian shelf margins, and overthrust sections.

 

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91011©1991 AAPG Southwest Section Meeting, Abilene, Texas, February 9-12, 1991 (2009)